Revitalizing the Uchiha clan starts with becoming a Kage.

Konoha is truly incapable of withstanding any further turmoil.

Even a false sense of stability is better than a direct outbreak of internal strife. As for what comes next? We'll talk about that later.

When Shoji heard Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, he seemed to calm down on the surface, and even withdrew his Susanoo. But his heart was cold. Even the most naive Shisui knew that the conflict between his clan and the village's leadership had truly reached an irreconcilable point.

What followed was the real struggle, both overt and covert.

On this point.

This was a consensus among almost everyone present.

A unique glint appeared in Jiang Si's pupils.

Because he was about to begin his second plan, he knew better than anyone that the Uchiha clan had no way out and that there was no possibility of reconciliation between them and the village.

The only thing left is to fight!

The only saving grace was that Danzo Shimura hadn't had a chance to actually take action against the Uchiha clan members. Of course, this was mainly because Danzo felt there was something to be gained from these people. Therefore, when the captured clan members were brought over by the Root members, they all appeared to be normal on the surface.

Of course, whether things are normal inside or not is already quite clear from the way these people look.

Seeing the dazed and confused state of these clansmen, Jiang Si bit his lower lip tightly, his face filled with anger. However, now was not the time to explode. Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi could not make a move here, the Uchiha clan had to be patient, given that they were not fully prepared and that other ninja clans were present. The Eighth Hokage, Tetsuka, and others present were already furious. If Jiang Si hadn't stopped them with his eyes, they would have exploded. From this, it was clear that Jiang Si's position in the hearts of these clansmen had undergone a completely different change.

86. Their respective attitudes

Fugaku and Shisui stood to the side, their expressions somewhat complicated.

In particular, at that moment, Fugaku seemed to have gone through a very intense internal struggle before finally letting go, and his eyes became very clear and peaceful as he looked at the commander standing at the front.

"The security department is responsible for the safety of the entire village. If any problems arise, they must be dealt with immediately. I hope the Uchiha clan can learn from this. Fugaku-kun and Shoji-kun, the safety of the village is paramount. I hope you will not make a mistake!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared coldly at Shoji and Fugaku, who stood a short distance away, barely managing to maintain the situation's stability. However, everyone present knew that the Uchiha clan had completely broken ties with the village's leadership. Unlike the previous covert struggles, this was a blatant and open clash.

This will inevitably lead the village into the most complex and unstable phase in the days to come. This is a situation that the major ninja clans are unwilling to see, but have to accept, because they do not want to see the Uchiha clan and the village provoke an even more terrifying struggle.

'Perhaps if this stalemate continues, time will heal all wounds?'

A group of ninja clan members, including Hyuga, Aburame, Yamanaka, Kurama, Gekko, Yamashiro, and Shiranui, had a thought that they all knew was almost unrealistic.

But at this point, they really had no other choice.

"Please rest assured, Third Hokage, the Uchiha clan will do everything in its power to ensure the success of the security department. This village was built by the Uchiha clan themselves, and no one loves it more than we do!"

Anyway, things have already turned ugly.

Then there's really no need to leave any room for maneuver.

As the general finished speaking those extremely cold words...

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression on the opposite side grew even more somber. Deep down, he was filled with anger and confusion. It was impossible for Shoji to change so suddenly. In other words, this genius of the Uchiha clan might have been faking it all along. He had to admit that he had been fooled.

I didn't expect that.

After so many years, the Uchiha clan has produced such a terrifying individual who possesses both strength and intelligence!

Fortunately, they saw through the evil boy's true colors in time!

From now on, I will absolutely not hesitate at all.

Including Uchiha Shisui standing to the side, now it's true that no one in the Uchiha clan can be trusted!

Hiruzen Sarutobi gave Shoji, Shisui, Fugaku, and the other Uchiha clan members a deep, gloomy look.

That's the best!

He left behind this sentence.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was the first to leave.

The Third Hokage will never know that although Shoji was always pretending and not entirely loyal to him, he genuinely wanted to resolve the clan's problems peacefully at the beginning, and was even prepared to become the village's sharpest blade.

As long as the vast majority of innocent people in the clan can continue their peaceful lives, the clan can continue to exist.

The commander will never choose the second path.

It was Hiruzen Sarutobi himself who closed this door. Although Danzo Shimura played a very important and dishonorable role in it, in the end, Hiruzen Sarutobi's indulgence and inaction were equally crucial.

Anyway.

The Hokage has always been Hiruzen Sarutobi, not Danzo Shimura.

Mitomon Homura, Utatane Koharu, and the others glanced at Shoji and the others with gloomy expressions before following Hiruzen Sarutobi away. Shimura Danzo, though looking unpleasant, secretly revealed a hint of joy between his brows.

Even if the process was somewhat beyond my expectations.

But the result was exactly what I wanted to see.

The Orochimaru affair has been completely covered up. From now on, Hiruzen Sarutobi's attention will definitely be focused entirely on the Uchiha clan. There will be twists and turns, and casualties are inevitable, but Danzo believes that all of this is worthwhile!

As long as we can wipe out the Uchiha clan!

Paying any price is acceptable.

Danzo gave Shoji one last look with a deep smile before turning and slowly walking away.

At this moment, this dark figure of Konoha was still full of confidence deep down. So what if Tsukasa possessed the Mangekyou Sharingan? So what if Susanoo was not something an ordinary ninja could handle?

Shoji is not Madara after all!

Konoha is now the number one ninja village in the ninja world!

As long as the entire village's strength is gathered, suppressing the Uchiha clan will be a piece of cake, if not a piece of cake. As for the price to be paid...

Hmph! Those are minor issues!

Konoha's Darkness never considers these issues; he only cares about the final result.

If you're so capable, why don't you, Uchiha Shoji, become a terrifying being like Uchiha Madara? If you're so capable, why don't you, the Uchiha clan, produce a second or third pair of Mangekyou Sharingan?!

Of course, the confident Shimura Danzo didn't know that while Shoji couldn't possibly become Madara Uchiha, the Uchiha clan did indeed have a second and third pair of Mangekyou Sharingan!

As Shoji watched the Konoha F4 disappear into the distance, the crimson color in his pupils slowly faded, and his eyes returned to their clear black and white. His gaze swept over the ninja clan leaders, Hyuga Hiashi, Nara Shikaku, Kurama Murakumo, and Aburame Shiki, one by one, but these people seemed to be deliberately avoiding him.

The two generals, who were at odds, stared at each other.

After Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others left, they each led their clan members back to their own settlements. Since the village and the Uchiha clan were not going to fight each other for the time being, they naturally wanted to go back to their homes and settle down to farm peacefully. The situation was so chaotic that no one wanted to be the first to stick their neck out.

Akimichi Tokifu stayed a little longer.

Looking at the faces of Shoji and Shisui, which bore a slight resemblance to his old friend, Uchiha Kagami, he sighed softly, then waved his hand and left with Shikaku, Choza, and Inoichi, each with a different expression.

Akimichi Torifu now only hopes that the worst outcome of the conflict between the Uchiha clan and the village this time will be the same as when his teacher suppressed the Uchiha clan rebellion more than 30 years ago. In that case, there should be less bloodshed.

This is the best outcome for Konoha and for the Uchiha clan.

Of course, it's likely that the current leaders of the Uchiha clan, such as Shoji, Fugaku, and Shisui, will not have a good end, judging from the actions of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.

This was destined.

As for the possibility that the Uchiha clan could overthrow the village and win a coup?

It's not that Akimichi Torifu looks down on the Uchiha clan, but given the current situation, the possibility is almost zero!

87. This is the way out for our race.

This is a judgment based on realism.

This is not just baseless speculation.

Because if the Uchiha clan dared to start a rebellion, all the other major ninja clans in the village would definitely stand on the side of Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Konoha leadership. There is no doubt about that. The Uchiha do not have that kind of charisma, and they are even less likely to promise any benefits to win over these people.

They sympathize with the Uchiha clan's current situation, but if the Uchiha dare to start a civil war, they will inevitably become the target of everyone's criticism. Shoji understands this very well, so his second plan is not to start an internal conflict.

That's something only an idiot would do.

"Clan leader, Zhishui, I think we should have a serious talk. What follows is truly a matter of life and death for our clan!"

Shoji stepped forward to Fugaku and Shisui, his face cold and aloof, and spoke in an extremely stern tone.

"Ah."

"I understand!"

Fugaku and Shisui, each with a complex expression, looked at Shoji and slowly nodded in response.

Regret over the past is something only fools and mediocre people do. What's done is done, and what wise people should do is look forward. Fugaku and Shisui surely understood this principle.

The Uchiha clan had no other path to choose from.

From now on, there's really only one path left to follow.

In any case, Fugaku had already made the necessary mental preparations.

Shisui still had some worries and resistance. After all, in Shisui's heart, his clan and the village were equally important. He really found it difficult to make a complete choice between them and abandon or even harm the other.

However, for now, all he could do was take it one step at a time. He hoped that Shoji really had a complete plan, because only then would the Uchiha clan have a new way out. But reason told Shisui that Shoji was just his peer and had previously wanted to get closer to the Third Hokage to solve the current problems, just like him. He really didn't think that Shoji could come up with a complete and effective plan at this critical juncture.

If the plan proposed by the general is indeed a plot to stage a coup.

I must stop him!

Shisui looked at Jiang Si's back in the seat in front of her, touched her pupils, and revealed a resolute look.

Although it's unclear how effective 'Kotoamatsukami' would be for Shoji, who also possesses the Mangekyou Sharingan, Shisui would have to give it a try if the situation came to that.

Shisui certainly wouldn't stand idly by and watch the village destroy the Uchiha clan, but he also didn't want to see the village suffer such devastation. This seemingly contradictory point is the core of Shisui's character. You could say Shisui was naive, or even that he was shirking responsibility.

But it must be said that this is Shisui's way of the ninja.

The general leading the charge was naturally unaware that his 'Shisui of Instantaneous Movement' was prepared to use 'Kotoamatsukami' on him as a last resort. However, based on the current situation and Shisui's personality, he could analyze the situation.

Jiang Si could also conclude that if he proposed a coup, Shisui would definitely not agree to it. That's how Shisui was in the original work. In this life, he couldn't really influence Shisui's thinking too much.

Fortunately, the commander's second plan was not a coup.

At least it wasn't the kind of coup d'état that aimed to seize power.

Instead, it's a completely new path.

Although this path is also full of thorns, in Jiang Si's view, it is the best way to integrate the clan's strength and unite everyone together.

That is it.

"The clan has left Konoha!"

In the western edge of Konoha Village, at the Nanga Shrine, a forbidden area of ​​the Uchiha clan, after returning to the clan and arranging for the rescued wounded clan members and calming the emotions of the other clan members, all the remaining clan members who were qualified to participate in the clan meeting, except for the necessary security personnel, gathered again in this forbidden area under the leadership of the eight elders.

It was also when everyone had arrived.